Now You're My Whole World
by Rac4hel414
Summary: We conceived a child; brought a beautiful baby boy into this world. Yet, we can never be together. While my heart belongs to him, his heart belongs to someone else. Inspired by 'there goes my life' by Kenny Chesney. Dedicated to xLeeRandomx XD
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my new story and it's totally dedicated to xLeeRandomx she has been so awesome. This is for her.**

**Title: Now You're My Whole World**

**Summary: I am a single mother. But, my baby's father is not dead and he did not leave the scene. We simply can't be together. The only person who knows he is the father is...him. I lied to family but if I don't, my family will just collapse. What if I lost my virginity to my sister's boyfriend? What if we conceived a child? What if, during those nine months of pregnancy, I fell hopelessly in love with him?**

**Rating: T (will M-rated topics)**

**Couple: Troy/Gabriella**

* * *

It was one of those mornings: the sun was shining, the birds were singing and _Maria's_ had all of the regular customers in for their breakfast. A true sign for a good day. I'd worked there since I was fourteen and the theory hadn't failed me yet. If one of these things weren't present, the day wouldn't be good. I just knew it. So far, I hadn't dropped any plates, I wasn't cranky, no matter how tired I was, and I was getting a fair amount of tips. Like I said: a good day.

My life wasn't something that many people approved of. But, I wouldn't change it for anything. My life changed roughly a year ago. It was my own fault and my father, Greg, had been disappointed in me. My sister, Natalia, who is five years my senior, gloated about how she hadn't ruined the Montez name. However, Greg, along with my future brother-in-law, Troy, and Troy's friends, I pulled through it and they were all proud that I'd done so.

At eighteen years old, many people in Albuquerque knew my entire life story. Right from the beginning when my mother gave her life to save mine, to the present when I had dropped out of school and went in weekly to pick up work from the teachers. I worked full time in Greg's cafe, a complete and utter contrast after my ambition to go to Stanford and study prelaw. Well, I was still going to Stanford, it just wasn't going to be how I envisioned my college career.

I pegged a new order up for the chef, Zeke, and smiled at him. He was one of my best friends but we're only friends because of Troy and Natalia. But, we don't mind. It means neither of us get bored whilst on our lunch breaks.

_Maria's_ was opened when I was one year old. Greg opened it up in Maria's honour. It was a fifties style diner with pictures of Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe and a retro style juke box. The whole place was themed with music and basketball. Whoever thought that music and basketball shouldn't go together had never stepped foot in _Maria's_ and hadn't met Troy Bolton.

"Hey, Gabi," Zeke said softly.

I smiled at him. "Hey, Zeke." I surveyed the diner and leaned against the counter by the hatch. "How's Shar doing?" I asked, referring to his girlfriend.

The African-American chuckled. "She's fine and before you ask, so is the boutique."

I laughed softly. "It seems ages since it was just us two. But, oh well. We'll see each other soon."

"If you don't, she'll be coming around here to see her future godchild," Zeke warned, pointing his spatula at me.

I giggled. "We need to all get together at some point. But, I doubt it'll be before the wedding. Then, I'm at Stanford...I can't wait to get out of here."

"What about Greg?" Zeke asked.

I shrugged. "I don't know. We don't really talk about it, to be honest. I know we should but with Mom and Tyler and Natalia...I sometimes wonder if he sees me or Mom."

Zeke smiled sympathetically. "We know it's hard on you. And if you ever need someone to talk to or if things get too much at Stanford, any one of us are willing to go up there and help. You know that."

"Not everyone," I muttered. "Natalia practically has my suitcase packed already!"

Zeke looked behind me and smiled warmly. "Maybe, but the first person on a flight to help you has just walked through the door."

I rolled my eyes. "Stop talking like that," I protested. "He's going to be my brother-in-law!"

He shrugged. "Who said it's Troy?" He smirked as I felt blood rush to my cheeks and look down on the counter. "Still, it hasn't stopped either of you before."

Although I knew he was referring to our feelings (not that Troy felt anything more than brotherly love towards me) but I couldn't help the feelings which stirred within my stomach at the thought of last year. Zeke didn't know about last year. No one did. That meant that when I was feeling particularly emotionally unstable, I had to lie as to why. Come to think of it, I lied every day, regardless!

I turned around and saw that Zeke was right. I was grateful that Sharpay wasn't a part of this conversation. She'd be planning my wedding. Troy Bolton slid into a booth at the back, near the doors to the restrooms, where several books and folders were open. It was the booth where we'd spent many hours talking together, just the two of us. We talked about school, the future and we also talked about which ice cream flavours mixed well.

Troy had always been attractive. I'd known him practically my entire life. His parents lived next door to us even though Troy now lived in an apartment near the park. We hadn't officially met, however, until I was twelve and he and Natalia were both seventeen. That was when they got together. Troy was the first boyfriend she had had that considered me. He was nice and sweet and would hang out with me just as much as he hung out with Natalia.

Still, I watched him grow up. When he started East High, he was tall, lanky and lacked the many muscles that developed with the intense basketball training he endured. His caramel hair had been a bit too long, his face still showed some roundness from childhood and his clothes weren't always that stylish, either. However, his high school years had been generous to him, giving him more defined facial features, more muscles and clothes which fit with his title of basketball captain. The only thing that had stayed the same was his brilliant sapphire eyes that, he had told me when I was fourteen, had been a sign of a true Bolton man for generations. It hadn't failed yet.

I think I was the only one not to see his transformation. Although we hadn't been friends, merely neighbours, I had seen him every day since I was born. Natalia saw the change in their junior year, when they got together. I didn't see it until a year ago when I realised that Troy Bolton wasn't the boy who used to live next door to me. He was now a responsible young man who now worked alongside his father, Jack, coaching East High's wildcat basketball team who he had led to victory in all of his high school years.

I turned back to Zeke, knowing it was a bad idea to think about Troy whilst working. "You have Troy's order?" I asked whilst I poured Troy's regular mug of coffee with cream, not milk, and one teaspoon of sugar.

Zeke winked. "It was ready the second he walked through the door." He placed a plate of two rashers of crisp bacon, scrambled egg, one slice of toast, crusts cut off with melted butter, and a side of hash browns on the counter.

I smiled at him and picked up two forks, one for Troy and one for me, and a knife and then picked up the plate and the mug of coffee. I headed over to Troy's booth and set the food down, sliding in opposite him. "Good morning," I greeted.

A frown creased his forehead as he pushed my textbook away. "AP further math? I could barely grasp regular math!" he exclaimed.

I narrowed my eyes. "Oh, I get it: no 'Good morning, Ella, thank you for knowing my order' or anything. It's nice to know I'm appreciated."

Troy smiled reassuringly and ate a forkful of scrambled egg. "Aw, El, you know you're my best friend."

I sighed and nodded to myself. "Best friend...Yeah. You, too."

He looked up at me. "You alright?"

I raised my eyebrows.

"Lack of sleep?" he asked.

"Heck yeah. It's clear who he takes after," I muttered.

He frowned but then poked his tongue out at me. "You're mean."

"It's not my fault he's got your genes," I protested and pierced a piece of bacon with my fork. I slipped it between my lips and swallowed it.

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered absently and sipped his coffee.

I giggled and smiled at him. I glanced at the clock on the opposite wall and sighed. Troy had work in half an hour. His contract with East High was that he just trained the basketball teams: varsity and junior varsity. He also helped train the golf team, too. But, that meant that he didn't have to be there until second period. First period, at East High, was for gym classes. _Half an hour_.

"How's Natalia?" I asked conversationally.

He shrugged and finished off his breakfast with a last forkful of eggs. "I haven't seen her for a few days."

"The wedding?" I asked.

"The wedding, her work...She could be doing anything," he muttered.

I smiled sympathetically. It was amazing that Natalia and I had the same genes. While I was happy in Albuquerque, living a quiet, small town life, she had been making extravagant plans to move to New York until Troy had stopped her, saying he was happy here. He had a right to be happy here. But, that didn't stop her extravagancy of the wedding plans. Troy had told me numerous times that he wanted a small wedding at the small church downtown with the reception at either his or the bride's parents' house and then honeymoon in Spain or Italy, somewhere in Europe. However, Natalia was making plans to get married in the cathedral in Glenwood, have the reception at a five star hotel and then honeymoon in Hawaii. They could afford it, money wasn't an issue as Troy had studied at the university of Albuquerque on a full basketball scholarship. But, he just didn't work like that.

"Why don't you talk to her?" I suggested one day a couple of months ago.

He laughed sarcastically. "Unless you're talking about flowers or the cake or the cathedral, she doesn't want to know."

"You're not going to New York, right?" I asked, turning to him.

He smiled and rested a hand on my stomach. "And leave you two behind? I couldn't do it."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "I don't know how I'd cope without someone to help me out."

"I promise I'm not going anywhere. I can't. Not now," he murmured.

It made me blush just thinking about that conversation. Of course, he wasn't staying in Albuquerque for me. Why would he? I'm five years younger than him and, before last year, I was obsessed with school. I still am, to some extent. The reason he had convinced Natalia to stay in Albuquerque was because of the centre of both of our worlds: Tyler. My life wasn't supposed to turn out this way. But, it did and I wouldn't change it for anything. I knew Troy wouldn't either.

Troy set his empty mug on the table and glanced at the clock. "Do you mind if I see him before I go?"

I slid out of the booth and picked the used plate and mug up. "Of course. Go ahead. I'll be there once I've got rid of these."

Troy nodded and headed towards the back door next to the cash register. It had once been Greg's office. But, within the last year, he had completely transformed it. He was very considerate and now sorted finances and supplies behind the counter by the cash register. He had been so understanding, it almost made me reconsider going to Stanford. I said almost!

I placed the used crockery on the counter by the hatch and one of the kitchen staff began scrubbing it clean. I headed towards the back door that Troy had gone through moments before. I quietly pushed it open and slipped through the tiny gap before shutting it with a gentle click. I took a deep breath and then turned around, being greeted by the gentle light emanating from Tyler's _Cars_ nightlight. He had been sleeping but I couldn't blame Troy for waking Tyler up. As Tyler had been awake with me for three hours during the night, it was no surprise that he had been sleeping now. But, it wasn't so bad. He wasn't cranky if Troy woke him up and he might sleep for longer, too.

Troy was sat in the rocking chair by Tyler's crib and was slowly swaying back and fore, trying to soothe him. He was whispering quietly and holding Tyler's tiny hand between his thumb and forefinger. "And here's your mommy," he murmured as Tyler yawned widely and turned to me.

I smiled reassuringly at him and sat down on the only other chair in the room. It wasn't big and was taken up mostly by the crib but there was some space for Tyler's toys for when he got restless. "Hey, Ty," I whispered.

Tyler turned his blue eyes to Troy and then made some sort of gurgling noise, resulting in bubbles appearing between his lips. Troy immediately let go of his hand and reached into the crib for a bib. "Tyler," he exclaimed quietly. "What would Mommy think?"

"Mommy would think she's right: you do have your father's genes," I mumbled, reaching across to stroke his locks of dirty blonde hair.

"Hey," Troy whined. "I don't dribble. Only basketballs."

"Touché," I muttered and sat back in my chair. "But, your mother told me something very different."

He glared at me. "You're mean."

"You're annoying, but I'm not complaining," I replied. Seriously. I'm not complaining.

Troy turned back to Tyler and stroked his cheek. "It's your fault she's mean to me. You keep her awake." He lifted his head and smiled. "I'll be around tonight."

I frowned. "What about Natalia?"

"She hasn't been at my place in weeks, wanting to make the honeymoon more special or something," he muttered and sighed. "So, if it's okay..."

I shrugged. "I was only going to do what I do every night: homework, Tyler, homework, maybe watch some TV...Not exactly sociable."

"How's Greg?" he asked politely.

I closed my eyes, thinking about my father. My entire life, Greg had been the most important man in my life. But now there were two others that had to share that title. Okay, so only two people knew that the third one owned the title and those were Zeke and Taylor purely because Zeke had guessed and Taylor was my best friend and I knew she wouldn't tell anybody.

My eyes fluttered open when Tyler let out a little whimper and snuggled into Troy's chest, one of the things I was incredibly envious of. "I think he's had a reality check this past year."

Troy smiled weakly. "I think we all have."

I tugged uneasily at the white apron I wore over my light blue dress. "Do you ever regret it?"

Troy looked me in the eyes, his bright blue orbs almost the only source of light. "And not have this little guy?" He shook his head. "Never. Not once."

I looked intently at my lap. "My dad loves being a grandpa. He says that the only reason it's better than being a father is because when Tyler starts crying, he can hand him back over to me."

Troy chuckled. "Yeah, I've heard grandparents can say that."

"About you?" I asked.

He raised his eyebrows. "How'd you know? My mom?"

I shook my head and looked down at the tiny blue bundle in his arms. "I've told you: he's you."

He smiled weakly and looked down on him. Tyler's head was nestled safely in the crook of Troy's elbow and Troy continued to rock in the chair, proving to get Tyler to yawn. "Do you think?"

I nodded. "I know. I'm surprised no one's asked me about it, to be honest."

He inhaled sharply and focussed his attention on Tyler. "El, about September..."

I immediately tensed and stood up, taking Tyler into my arms. "I think it's time for Tyler to go back to sleep now," I said sternly. I kissed Tyler's forehead and then set him softly in his crib. I tucked the blankets around him and placed the soft bear, the first toy he had ever been given from Greg, next to his head. His blue eyes, the eyes that plagued me in my sleep, stared up at me. I kissed two of my fingers and then pressed them to Tyler's forehead. "Que Suenes con los Angelitos, mi hijo **(A/N: Dream with the angels, my son)**." I turned to Troy who had risen with the unexpected exclamation. "Don't look at me like that. Go on." I gestured to the door.

Troy sighed and opened the door for me. I stepped through it and headed for the back booth. Troy followed me and we sat opposite each other. I pulled my textbook towards me and focussed on that. When I focussed on math, there weren't any conflicts, choices or emotions. There was one set answer to questions. Although I didn't want my entire life to be that, I would prefer that to the conversation Troy wanted to have. I knew what it would be. He'd been trying to have this conversation with me for a month, ever since I'd received my acceptance letter from Stanford.

"Gabriella," he said sternly.

"Don't you have work?" I muttered.

"Don't you?" he shot back.

I lifted my head and shot him a look of disbelief. "This place is hardly packed like sardines."

Troy lowered his eyes. "Do you...Do you want to leave me here?"

I lifted my head and frowned. "What? No. One of the things that are terrifying me is leaving you here." We held each other's eyes before I turned back to my schoolwork. "You have work," I mumbled lowly.

Troy stood up and sighed. "We need to talk about it at some point." He walked out of the diner, leaving me alone.

I slumped back in my seat, feeling exhaustion from being awake during the night and my emotional response to Troy. In just under two months, he was going to become my brother-in-law. A year ago, that didn't seem too bad. It just meant that a really cool, older guy was going to be around even more. He was just someone I could hang out with that had no expectations of me. All of my life, everyone just expected me to get straight As and fly through school and be the freaky genius girl. When I was with Troy, I just felt like a girl.

But, a year ago, he wasn't just 'some cool guy' anymore. He was completely, absolutely perfect and, after creating the most beautiful baby boy on the planet together, it was sometimes hard to be 'just friends'. He, of course, didn't know and as the wedding was slowly coming over the horizon, he wasn't going to find out, either. How could I possibly tell the guy that's marrying my sister that I'm hopelessly, desperately and irrevocably in love with him?

* * *

After a day of fat, grease and coffee, I was carrying Tyler upstairs to give him a bath. I'd had dinner with Greg. The conversation was limited to Tyler, the diner and the wedding. We didn't talk about school or college. We barely talked at all these days, unwilling to admit that our time together was running out. I was the closest thing he had to Maria and now it was like he was losing her all over again. You see, Natalia took after Greg. I took after Maria. And for me? He was the one who woke up in the middle of the night to feed me when I was a baby. He was the one who sang to me, loudly and very out of tune, every night of my childhood. He scared the monsters out of my closet, too. How can I be away from him? I'm a mother myself, so what? I still depend on him.

When I first discovered I was pregnant, I was terrified as any seventeen year old girl should be. In the beginning, only two people stood by me. Two men who I can't see my life without. Greg and Troy. When I was convinced that I couldn't do it, that I wouldn't be a good mother, Greg would hug me and show me pictures of Maria. He would kiss my temple and whisper, "She'll help you" and I knew that it would be okay. When Troy agreed to be a part of our baby's life, not that anyone knew he was the father, I'd call him in the middle of the night, wanting him to hold me or to get me whatever food I'd been craving, and I'd call him when I was having a particularly bad case of morning sickness.

Now, I was going to Stanford, taking my baby with me and leaving my daddy behind. And Troy. No matter whether it's the mother or father, it's always difficult to grow up with one parent and I don't want Tyler to grow up like that. But, what other choices do I have. U of A? Yeah, it's a good school but then I'll never see outside of Albuquerque at all. I mean, I love Albuquerque and everything and I want Tyler to grow up here. But, with all of the comments I received when everyone found out I was pregnant, I want to be somewhere where no one knows me.

I sighed and stroked Tyler's soft hair, holding him protectively to my torso. "Don't worry, little guy. We'll be just fine."

Tyler lifted his head and looked at me. He blew some saliva bubbles and then buried his face back into my shoulder. I'd soon learnt once Tyler was born six weeks ago not to wear any expensive clothes. It didn't bother me. Even before Tyler happened, I'd never been exactly popular or stylish.

I pushed the door to my bedroom open and then gently kicked it shut, not wanting to startle Tyler who had finally calmed down after an afternoon of continuous playing with his toys in the back room of the diner. Although Tyler had the nursery in the room next to mine, I insisted that his crib be put in my room. That way, if I woke up in the middle of the night, I could easily check over him. All of his toys were in the nursery, though.

I felt the heat rise up my neck at the sight of my bedroom. There, sitting on the bedside cabinet by Tyler's crib, was an eruption of colour in a vase. A rainbow of lilies were prancing in all directions, reflecting the light from my bedroom ceiling lamp. I smiled and adjusted Tyler in my arms as I made my way around my bed towards them. I knew who sent them. There was only one person in the world that used my balcony doors more than the front door as an entry to the house.

I balanced Tyler carefully with one arm as I picked up the folded piece of notebook paper placed in front of the vase. _Ella_ was scrawled messily on it and the simple lack of neat penmanship made my heart flutter. I unfolded it and took a deep breath.

_Ella,_

_I'm sorry about earlier. I just can't bear the thought of not seeing Tyler for even a day. I won't stop you going. But, you can't stop me from visiting, either._

_I'll be around later on tonight (Nat insisted we have dinner together)._

_See you later_

_Your Wildcat_

_X_

I held the note to my face and inhaled deeply. I could smell a hint of Troy's Lynx cologne, the scent that made my knees weaken and a tornado of butterflies suck in every last thought that didn't include Troy. I slowly sat down on my bed and settled Tyler in my lap. I looked into his eyes and kissed his forehead. He was looking up at me in wonder, waiting for me to say something.

"Your daddy..." I trailed off and looked at the note. I turned back to Tyler and smiled. "Your daddy is unbelievable. The greatest man in the world except for you. Now, how about we give you a nice bath so that you're nice and clean for when Daddy comes here? Yeah?" I placed the note by the lilies and then stood up, heading towards the bathroom.

See? It was a good day.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Well, I was at a fundraiser this morning and I got bored and started this then XD. I did ask xLeeRamdomx if she wanted to read this first but she didn't reply (okay, so I only sent it a couple of hours ago) and I want to hear what you all say. I really liked this chapter. I hope you do, too :)**

**Don't own HSM x

* * *

**

If someone knew the true story of my life, they would assume that Tyler was a mistake. They would think that he was conceived in upset and anger like children born in battle. Some people would blame Troy; he kissed me first. Some people would blame me; I succumbed to the wondrous feelings that Troy bestowed upon me. If I had to blame anyone (I would never blame someone for Tyler because he's everything to me) I would blame Dean Moriati. Italian. Nice, huh? He asked me out halfway through my junior year. I thought he was good for me and was pretty close to perfection. But, then, on the very last day of our junior year, he told me his secret that, it turned out, I was the only one not to know. "Three months," he whispered guiltily and I instantly knew what he meant. For three months, he'd been cheating on me.

I remember smiling at him. I simply nodded and walked away, knowing exactly who I needed to talk to. I climbed into my beat up old truck, a birthday present from Greg, and drove to Troy's apartment building. He was the one person who could help me. If I told Greg, he'd kill Dean, Natalia wouldn't care and that didn't leave me many options left. The journey up to the fifth floor was a blur, a few mere minutes taken from my memory. I don't remember my thoughts or feelings just that I wanted Troy.

The door opened before I finished knocking. "Nat, I'm sorry, I'm-" Troy stopped dead when he saw me. "El? I thought you were Nat?"

I shook my head.

"She's been bugging me all day to get together and I'm swamped with work at the minute," he explained. He can't have seen how much I was holding my tears back.

"Should I go?" I asked quietly.

"That depends," he murmured, leaning against the doorframe and folding his arms.

"On what?" I whispered.

"It depends on why the hell you look like you're about to burst into tears at any second," he replied sternly. He did see.

I breathed shakily and finally let the tears spill like tidal waves from my eyes. I sobbed loudly and held a hand to my mouth. "Three months. How couldn't I see?"

Troy brought me into his arms and shut the door behind me. "El, I'm so sorry." He kissed my head as I cried into his chest.

I pulled back and sniffled, letting my fingers lightly touch his chest. "I made your shirt wet." He was muscular...Very, very muscular. I felt warm and protected in his circle of arms.

He shook his head. "I don't care."

My eyes momentarily flickered to his lips, his perfect, sweet lips. I swallowed and turned out of his arms to slip my shoes and jacket off. I dropped my keys onto the table by the door and moved to the couch in the living room. I wiped my face and groaned. "Can you just kill me?"

I felt Troy's arms wrap around me and I turned to his body. "I will do no such thing," he murmured.

I inhaled deeply, revelling in his scent. Just...soap. No cologne or aftershave, just soap. Natalia sometimes made him wear cologne when we all have dinner together but I don't like it. I like just plain soap. Troy's just being himself when he's not wearing cologne. He's not trying to impress anybody and Natalia's not telling him what to do. "I wish he would've lied," I whimpered into his chest.

He pulled back and took my face between his hands, coarse from years of basketball and guitar playing. "No you don't. Don't say that, please. You deserve so much better than him. I know it's not what you want to hear but you are this amazing, intelligent, beautiful girl and you deserve to have a guy who would give you the world if he could." His eyes were glossy and I knew he wanted me safe, unhurt...smiling.

I nodded as the tears kept coming. "I guess you're right."

His thumbs moved softly over my cheek, massaging the skin beneath my eyes. "Please," he whispered.

I closed my eyes and sighed a whisper of a breath, barely audible. "I don't want to hurt. This was supposed to be my summer. A happy summer. Just me, you and dad. And Natalia," I added as an afterthought.

I felt a gentle breath against my lips and I parted mine in want and anticipation. It was a temptation, an enticement I had to refuse. "It will be," he promised quietly before two lips, two soft, experienced lips pressed themselves gently to mine.

Although the want was there, willing me to respond, I couldn't. He was marrying Natalia and I felt nothing for him. He was my big brother, my best friend. Nothing more. Never anything more. I pulled back and looked at him in shock. Before I had a chance to protest, I saw the look in his eyes: guilt, shock, lust. He wanted me as much as I wanted him. Although I was hurt, unsure how to trust my heart again, he would heal me and make me better just like when I was thirteen with the flu and he personally ran down to the pharmacy for my prescription.

I reached out to stroke his cheek, his lightly tanned skin rough with stubble. I nodded slowly before I brought him closer and kissed him. My arms wound slowly around his neck as he pushed me down until we were lying down on his couch. There was a doubt in my mind, an annoying little conscience telling me to stop. I felt Troy's lips press softly to the spot behind my ear and I knew I couldn't. I hurried to pull his shirt off and the rest of our clothes followed until we were naked. I knew that Troy would appreciate it if I did something, anything. But, I couldn't. All I could think about was his lips against my neck, his hand against my breast and how much he had grown up.

He leaned back on his haunches and stroked my cheek with the back of his fingers. "You're so beautiful. You're not the little girl I swore to protect when Nat first took me home."

I smiled in embarrassment up at him. "You're...You're not the boy next door anymore. You've grown up." My eyes flitted appraisingly over his body and I swallowed hard. "A lot."

He chuckled and it trailed off. "I won't have any regrets," he promised. "I truly want this."

I nodded in agreement. "Me too. No regrets."

"If I start, I won't be able to stop," he warned.

I pulled him down to me, feeling our torsos push against the other. "I don't want you to," I whispered in his ear.

He lifted his head and nodded. He kissed my forehead, wrapped me tightly in his arms and slowly, gently, so gently, took my virginity.

No regrets.

None at all.

* * *

Sitting at a wooden bench in the park, I watched as Taylor rocked back and fore. She was so maternal, I was surprised she and Chad, her husband of a year and Troy's best guy friend, had no children already. My dog, a pure black German shepherd was lying protectively at Taylor's feet. Rocky, the dog, wasn't protective of Taylor. He was more concerned with Tyler. He wasn't so protective that nobody but me could hold him, he just didn't want Tyler hurt. He knew when Tyler was hurt. When Tyler wakes up in the night and I, for some reason, don't stir, Rocky makes sure that I do. When I confessed to Greg that I was pregnant, he knew that I'd feel lonely and helpless and had taken me to the pound, five weeks pregnant, and I fell in love with him. He hasn't left my side since.

The night when Tyler was conceived was the only time I've ever made love to anyone and it was to the man my heart belongs to. And he doesn't even know it. We'd made love beautifully a total of four times that night. It had hurt the first time, a small price to pay for the sheer wonderment of the feelings Troy had brought upon me. The following day, we lay awake, naked in Troy's bed, not wanting to say what was inevitable. We told no one.

Even though Troy knows the majority of the events of my life, he can't know all of it. That's an impossibility. He can't know I'm in love with him. If he found out, the entire fragility of our relationship would just collapse and I'd most likely be raising Tyler by myself. Although I wouldn't mind, Tyler had never been a chore, one sleepless night after the next was, well, tiring. That was why I was at the park with Taylor. Greg had practically forced me to take the day off. Everyone thought I was crazy to start work so early after giving birth. But, not me. I felt guilty to just sit back and watch the world keep spinning without me earning _anything_.

Taylor looked over at me, her coffee coloured skin almost glowing in the warm Albuquerque sun. I had been against her to take Tyler out of the shade of his buggy but she had been good and hunched her body over so that he was completely shaded. No patch of his skin was open to the harsh rays of the sun.

"Have you told him yet?" she asked quietly. With Taylor, there was no beating around the bush.

I sighed. Although there were two implications to her question, the same answer applied to both. "No," I murmured.

She shook her head. "He'll find out."

I nodded glumly. "You think I don't know that? If anything, I'm glad to be a thousand miles away at Stanford. Then, if he's mad, I don't have to face him every day."

"No," Taylor said slowly, "you're just going to live the rest of your life being broken."

I shrugged. "I don't care. I have Ty. He's all that matters. I'm not important."

"I know someone who would disagree," she mumbled.

I groaned and let my head fall onto the wood, warm from the persistent heat. I lifted my head and frowned. "Stop talking about Troy like he feels the same way because it's obvious he doesn't, okay? I'll go to Stanford and if he hates me, I can stay there."

She raised her eyebrows.

"I would," I exclaimed.

The same look was plastered on her face.

I sighed. "Okay, I wouldn't. You know I want Tyler to grow up here and maybe it's stupid to go to Stanford, period. You know, I can take some classes here and maybe go to Stanford when Ty's older. I know I said no to Troy but..."

"You wouldn't seriously give up your dream, right? Troy wouldn't let you. You know that. All he can talk about is how he's going to visit you and Tyler," she murmured.

I frowned and shrugged. "I don't know."

"Well, you've got to make your decision soon." She paused and looked down on Tyler for a moment before lifting her head. "Have you told anyone you're up for Stanford's freshmen honour's programme?" she exclaimed.

I looked down at the table and shook my head. I looked back at her and felt tears well in my eyes. "How can I? Natalia won't care, I never talk to Dad about school because it's basically like he's losing Mom all over again and Troy...Oh, I don't even want to go there. I can't bear the thought of being away from him, he's helped me so much and I owe him so much."

Taylor nodded with understanding. "But, they'll all be hurt if they found out by themselves."

I nodded sadly. "I know," I whispered.

Taylor lay Tyler back into his buggy and angled it so that the sun would shine on the hood, not Tyler. Rocky moved so that he was now lying beside the buggy and Taylor sat next to me, wrapping her arms around me. I know she's only five years older but she's the closest thing I'll ever have to a mother and I wouldn't have it any other way. I felt a tear trickle over my cheek and I bit my lip, not wanting anything than to just forget about college, forget about the future. The only thing I seemed sure of these days was that Tyler was mine and he always will be.

Taylor kissed my head, holding me in her comforting arms. "Gabi, listen to me, I know Troy means a lot to you, heck, if Tyler wasn't around, he'd be everything to you. But, there'll be other guys."

I shook my head. "No. That's not even possible. To think about another guy...No. Even if I do, hypothetically, fall in love with another guy, Troy will always be there, in the back of my mind." I sniffled and wiped my nose with the back of my hand.

"I just don't understand how it happened," she said in confusion.

I sighed and rested my chin in the palm of my hand, my elbow resting on the table. "It's a long story."

Taylor rubbed my back. "You know, no matter where you are, no matter if you tell Troy or not, I know he will be there right behind you, picking you up when you fall."

I took a deep breath and shook his head. "No. He won't. He's marrying Natalia. One day, probably far in the future knowing my sister, they'll have children and they'll be...they'll be more important than Ty and me." Tyler...Troy and Natalia _will_ have children. Tyler and I will just be a memory.

* * *

I stared down lovingly on Tyler as he lay beside me on my queen sized bed. He was set in the middle, of course, so that he was in no danger of falling off of the edge. I was leaning up on my elbow, just watching him. The bear that Greg had bought him when he was born was by his head and he was happy. He was thrashing his arms and legs happily on my mattress, letting out little giggles of contentment. Greg wasn't in the house. He was next door with Jack and Lucille, Troy's parents. But, after the conversation with Taylor, I just wanted to enjoy Tyler's company. When we were alone, I didn't worry about Troy or Greg or college or anything like that.

I touched his hand with my free hand and he wrapped his tiny fingers around mine and looked up at me with his deep azure eyes. I just hand to smile. It was something about him that made me smile. Just seeing him on a morning, sleeping in his crib brought a smile to my face. When he was crying in the middle of the night, even then I smile, purely because he's mine. He's me. He has my genes. I participated in the making of love so he could be alive. And the best part? Troy's a part of him, too. He also participated in making love, too.

How to tell Troy and Greg that I'm up for Stanford's freshmen honour's programme? Well, I'd talk to Greg first. That would be less painful. He'd encourage me to rearrange the stars, if I could, even if it hurt him. When I spoke to Troy, although he wants the best for me and encourages me to become the lawyer I've always wanted to be, he'd try to persuade me to stay for the summer. But, if I go early, if I get accepted to the programme, I won't be in New Mexico for the wedding of century, Natalia will be happy and my heart won't break even more than it is already.

It's best if I just disappear.

I heard a creak and rolled my eyes to myself. I smiled slightly at Tyler. "Say hi to Daddy, Tyler." I looked over at Troy as he slipped his sneakers off by my desk. "What are you doing here?"

Troy came over and lay down on the other side of Tyler in the same position as me. "Hey, Ty." He kissed Tyler's forehead and then turned to me. "El, don't you want me here?"

"I didn't mean that," I whispered. "I just wondered. You know, Natalia, work, the wedding..."

He shrugged. "Nat can cope with the wedding by herself. She never considered me in it anyway. It's not our wedding, it's her wedding. It always has been. I was just being optimistic."

"Well, some women just become bridezilla. The marriage will be fine." Although I sounded positive, both of us doubted it.

"She's...Why did I fall in love with her?" he asked.

I shrugged. "I wish I knew. I want to make it better. Dad won't be mad if you call off the wedding."

Troy chuckled lifelessly and stroked Tyler's head. "Your dad is the least of my worries."

I was silent for a minute. "How's work?"

"Work is awesome. The team will win, definitely. Are you going to the game?" he asked.

I smiled sadly and shook my head. "No. I'm not going. I'd much rather spend the day sticking pins in my eyes, if I'm honest."

"I thought you like playing basketball?" Troy asked in shock.

I giggled quietly and nodded. "I do. But, I haven't played in almost a year because of this little guy right here. Besides, I meant that I'd rather stick pins in my eyes than face East High. It sounds cowardish but I just can't take it. The things they said about Tyler, about you...Well, not you directly. Just about 'the father'. Things about me, I can take. I'm a big girl. But, I can't stand it when people insult two of my favourite guys."

Troy smiled and nodded. "I get it, El. It's fine. Don't worry. And you know what?"

I shook my head. "What?"

"You, Ella, are so much better than those insulters at East High, okay? You always will be. You're a young mother, so what? You were pregnant at seventeen, so what? I know Greg was disappointed but have you seen his face when he's with Tyler? He loves him so much. Tyler is beautiful. I'm not just saying that because he's my son, I'm saying it because it's true. He's simply a beautiful baby boy and those people at East High are jealous that they can't share what we have." He reached out to brush some hair behind my ear. "And you will become the best lawyer in Albuquerque, no questions asked."

I smiled and rolled onto my back, staring at my ceiling. "Do you...This is going to sound so weird," I muttered quietly. "Do you ever think about life if Dean hadn't told me?"

I turned my head to Troy and he began to curl a lock of my hair around his finger. "Everyday. And I hate it. I hate the idea of not having Tyler. It's...It's torture to think about that. I mean, I know you're off to college next year but-"

"Can we not talk about that?" I asked quietly, feeling like a little girl who was standing up to someone much taller than she is. I just wanted to take Tyler and curl up beneath my duvet and sing to him. When I sang to him, I felt Maria was with me. She would've known what to do. I know it.

"What?" Troy whispered.

"Just for tonight," I added hurriedly. "Just for tonight," I repeated more strongly. "I know we have to at some point, I'm not stupid. I just want a quiet night with two of my favourite guys."

Troy smiled slightly and nodded. "Okay," he whispered. He leaned over Tyler and, for one moment of my fantasy, I thought he was going to kiss my lips. But, reality came crashing back and he kissed my forehead instead.

I fell in love with Troy when Tyler was conceived, when we made love for the first time. He had been the boy who I thought had had a tradition to break a bone every summer. And, yet, he had moved above me, on the couch of his apartment, slowly, softly, lovingly, with a tenderness that made me feel like a china doll that would break any second.

The way he was so patient with me coming to terms with leaving Albuquerque to go to college just made me fall in love with him a little bit more.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I know, I know, it's been forever. Sorry! Stupid school. I sat my psychology exam this morning. Not fun :( Anyway, on with this...**

**Don't own HSM

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**

I settled back into the shotgun seat of Troy's truck and turned my head to see his profile. I had to stifle a giggle. He had a look of pure confusion plastered on his face, as if he'd just figured out that the world wasn't flat. Tyler was strapped safely in the back seat and I knew it was best to just leave Troy with his thought. Today, it had been my last check up since I'd given birth to Tyler. Everything was healing nicely and the doctor was very pleased. While I was there, he had checked Tyler and was pleased with him as well but the routine checks still remained with him. Troy had come with me to every single one of these checkups and his reaction had always been the same: "How can you lie there, talking about the weather when someone's poking your vagina?" He thought that I didn't mind it. Wrong. I simply talking about everyday things to take my mind off it. Then, the journey home was usually silent until Troy says something random, usually related to Tyler or basketball.

I turned back to the window and felt my smile slip. If there was one time in my life that I needed Maria, this would be it. I'd checked the mail this morning, an act that's been a part of my daily routine for years. There had been a few magazines my dad had subscriptions to, a few bills and a letter for me. I knew what it was before I'd opened it. I was invited to go to Stanford's freshmen honour's programme for three weeks before graduation. Unfortunately, or some would argue it was in my favour, I would miss Troy and Natalia's wedding. I just didn't know what to do. If I go to the college, I'm practically taking Tyler away from Troy. If I stay, I have to see Troy being Natalia's husband and I'd much prefer to be a thousand miles away at Stanford with my favourite boy in the world.

I can hope and dream all I want for Troy to fight for me but I know it'll never happen. And, deep down, I know there's a part of me that doesn't want him to fight for me. No matter how bad my relationship with Natalia is, she's still my sister and I still love her. I still want her to be happy and I still want to be happy. I know that they're happy together.

The question was whether or not I go to the honours' programme. All day, I had been drawing up a list of positives and negatives in my head and do you know the truly ironic thing about the situation? There was an equal number of positives as negatives. Which means that the decision was ultimately mine.

I had made the decision, whilst the doctor was examining Tyler and Troy was too busy gushing how proud he was, that I needed to tell Taylor. After the dinner with Jack, Lucille, Troy and Natalia, I'd go around there. And if Chad was there, that might be good. Not only could he entertain Tyler but he might know what Troy honestly wants from me when it concerns my college education.

Stopping at a red light, Troy twisted the dial on the radio, which I was surprised ever had a reception with how old it was. The local radio station began playing quietly, so as not to disturb Tyler from his slumber, and I shook my head to myself. Not two years ago, this radio station was constantly keeping a local update with Troy's latest basketball plans and victories. When Troy eventually graduated U of A, and the news was out that Troy was assisting Jack at East High, it was almost as if the presenters were at a loss of what to say. The whole thing had me teasing Troy for weeks.

"Albuquerque's most eligible bachelor will be tying the knot in less than two months," the presenter stated. _Of Course_.

"Wow. That's the first I've heard your name on here for quite a while," I ventured, not knowing if Troy was still 'scarred' or not.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the corner of his mouth twitch. "Well, lay low and you're not all over the news, even though this is a small town."

"Doesn't that heighten the likelihood that people will know?" I asked.

Troy shrugged. "I guess. But, I've gotten used to it."

"There's one thing they don't know about," I whispered, instantly regretting what I'd said.

Troy pulled into the parking lot of the local supermarket. He took his seatbelt off and turned to me. I instantly turned to look out of the window, staring at the sky. "El, please tell me what you want from me."

I shook my head. "What does it matter? I've never asked for anything in my life from anybody other than my dad to simply help me and care for me." I turned to Troy, looking him in the eyes. "If I did ask for anything from anybody, would I get it?"

"Well, you might," he muttered.

I shook my head and unstrapped my seatbelt. "But I wouldn't." I jumped out of his truck and opened the back door. "Hey, baby," I whispered to Tyler as his blue eyes fluttered open. I took his car seat out and handed it to Troy as he arrived on my side. "You can look after him while I buy groceries, can't you?"

Troy took Tyler's carrier and frowned. "Is that what this is about? Ella, please, you know why I asked you not to tell anybody." He locked the truck and looked me in the eye.

I nodded. "I know. You're ashamed to say you slept with a girl five years younger than you so you made me lie to anybody that ever meant anything to me."

"What?" Troy exclaimed. "Where did that come from? I thought you were okay with it?"

I dug in my purse for the list of groceries I needed for our dinner. "Troy, I had found out I was pregnant. I was going with whatever. I wasn't thinking. I'll tell you what I want from you. I want you to stop doing things for Natalia. I get it that you're marrying her but the closer the wedding gets, the less you're acting like yourself."

He laughed and shook his head. "That's not true."

I looked at my feet and up at the sky. "When was the last time you had a day with the guys, sitting back, watching football and then playing some basketball in the backyard?"

He shrugged. "I don't know but Nat always wants...That's not fair."

I rolled my eyes. "I don't get why you're with her. I get it that you're in love with her but you should still be your own person."

"Are you jealous?" Troy asked quietly.

"What?" I whispered. "Why would I be jealous? The father of my baby is marrying my sister and probably going to regret it. There! I said it. I think it's a bad idea. You know what? Just don't come running to me, asking me to be your lawyer when you're filing for a divorce." I turned around and made my way into the store and grabbed a cart on my way, pushing it down the first aisle.

I began piling groceries into the cart as Troy began talking, defending his relationship whilst I concentrated on consulting the list to make sure I had everything. I asked Troy to pick up some carrots from the previous aisle as I looked at the packets of pasta in front of me. I groaned to myself as I realised the brand of spaghetti I wanted was right at the top. _Of course_.

"The bastards rearranged it," I grumbled. I began stretching to attempt to reach the shelf but failed. A hand took a packet of spaghetti and gave it to me. I turned around and placed a hand over my heart. "Drake, you scared me." I placed the spaghetti into the cart before turning back to the football captain. "Hi, how are you?"

He nodded. "I'm good. Won the play offs. I see you still need a hand with heights."

I giggled. "Yeah. Being pregnant didn't make me grow taller at all."

"Are you okay with everything?" he asked.

I smiled. "Yeah. I am. I've had time to get over it. But, no matter what Dean did wrong, no matter how much I never want to see him again, I'd go through it all over again just to get Tyler out of it."

"How is the little guy?" Drake asked. Although we'd never been friends, exactly, he'd never bullied me while I was in school and never judged me when it was common knowledge that the innocent, naive Gabriella Montez got herself pregnant.

I felt my heart swell at the thought of Tyler. "He's perfect. We both had checkups today and everything is really good. The doctor says that he's going to be really tall and really strong according to rate he's growing. At least he will be able to help me when I go shopping."

Drake chuckled. "I'll bet."

"You know, I couldn't find carrots, only baby ones so I picked up a couple of packets," Troy's voice exclaimed as I turned to see him dropping the packets into the cart, Tyler's car seat safely held in his other hand. "Oh, hi. I didn't know we had company."

"Drake was just asking about Tyler," I explained. "Isn't that sweet?"

Troy nodded. "Sure."

I frowned and turned back to Drake. "I'd better keep shopping. I've got a family dinner I need to prepare and Lord knows that Troy will try to help, burn something and I'll have to start all over again."

Drake chuckled. "I'd better bounce, too. I promised my mom I'd run down here to buy some fabric cleaner and, well, I got distracted by these chips..." He gestured to the extra large pack of potato chips in his hands.

"I'll see you later. And, remember, the diner is always open when you want to gain a few pounds," I joked.

Drake hugged me softly, not unlike Chad's or Zeke's hugs at all. He pulled back and winked. "I'll drop by sometime. Troy." He nodded in acknowledgement before walking away.

I started pushing the cart again and Troy hurried after me. "What was that?" he asked. Did hint a sense of jealousy?

I frowned and turned to him. "What was what?"

"El, you're a single mother, you can't go around, flirting with guys. You need to focus on Tyler," he exclaimed.

I laughed. "Look who's jealous now."

"I am not jealous of that loser," he mumbled, looked down at Tyler.

"Troy, he's got a scholarship to USC and he's already on the team there. I think he's the furthest thing from a loser. I don't like him that way. It's just...when everyone started judging me, even before I was pregnant, he was always just...nice to me. Don't worry, I'm not going to elope." I smiled at him and continued shopping.

It was strange to think that, for one small moment, Troy could've been jealous. He had never needed to be jealous. He had girls following him all of the time, even now that he's getting married. He's got money to buy nice things and he's got good friends and family. The fact that he was jealous, or appeared jealous, should I say, was exhilarating. It gave me a rush of adrenaline, wanting to see it more. But, I couldn't manipulate Troy just to see him appear jealous again. He'd figure something out.

* * *

The door swung open of the small apartment and the tall African-American swept Tyler's carrier away from me. "Who's going to be the greatest basketball player of all time?" he asked in a baby voice.

I rolled my eyes and shut the door as I took my shoes off and hung my jacket on a hook. "Tay? You here?"

I wandered into the kitchen of the small apartment and began preparing the ancient coffee maker, a hand-me-down from Taylor's parents, for three cups: one black, two sugars, one with a lot of cream, no sugar, and one with a drop of cream and one sugar. Mine was the latter. I balanced the three cups in my hands and walked into the lounge. I set all three cups on the coffee table and sat on the couch, smiling as I watched Chad sit on the floor and take Tyler out of his carrier. Soon, his jacket and shoes had been discarded and was lying on the floor, blowing bubbles from saliva.

Chad immediately grabbed a bib and wiped his mouth. "What will your mommy think?"

"She'll think that it's a bad idea to hand my son to you," I replied. I smirked at Chad's shocked face. "You know I'm kidding. Where's Tay?"

Chad shrugged. "Went to greet the new neighbour."

I frowned and picked up my coffee. "Shouldn't you be with her?"

He shook his head. "I said I'd cook dinner if I didn't have to go."

"Let me guess: taking her out?" I asked.

He winked. "You know me too well. Anyway, how was the dinner?"

I shook my head. "Don't go there."

"That bad?" Chad raised an eyebrow.

"The highlight was cutting my finger whilst peeling potatoes and it went downhill from there. Sometimes, I want graduation to come faster," I muttered.

The door opened and Taylor walked in, smiling as soon as she saw me. "Gabi!" She rushed over and hugged me, being careful of my coffee. She pulled back and smiled. "How are you?"

I stared into my coffee as if it would give me a solution to all of my problems. "Tay, I need to talk to you."

"Uh-oh," Chad mumbled. "Do you want me to leave the room?"

I shook my head furiously. "Could you stay, actually?"

Chad nodded worriedly, for I had always asked him to leave the room when I've needed Taylor's advice. "Sure."

I sniffed and looked at the floor. "I got into the programme," I whispered.

Taylor squealed. "Seriously?" She pulled me into a crushing hug. "Oh, Gabi, your mom would be so proud."

I pulled back and stared at her, mentally counting down until she figured it out. 3...2...

"Oh," she whispered and raised her hand to her mouth in shock. "I'm sorry, Gabi."

1...I felt tears well in my eyes and shrugged helplessly. "I think it should be explained to Chad."

"That would be nice," he mumbled.

I smiled as best as I could. "I've been accepted to Stanford's freshmen honour's programme. I get to go there for three weeks before graduation to study with some of the best professors."

"Gabi, that's amazing," he murmured. He shrugged. "What's the problem?"

Taylor rubbed my back as I collapsed against. "She doesn't know whether to go or not."

Chad nodded with understanding. "I say go. Your dad wants you to go. No matter what happened to your mom and no matter how bad he's going to miss you, he wants you to be there. He knows it's where you belong. And Troy? He'll either survive without you, in which case you deserve better, or he'll come to his senses and chase after you."

I groaned and pulled away from Taylor. "Guys, it's not as easy of that. Yes, I'm hopelessly in love with him but you guys don't know why. You don't know the back story. If he does survive and doesn't chase me, I've still got to come back. Not only is this my hometown and where I want Tyler to grow up..." I trailed off to take deep breaths.

"Gabi?" Chad asked. "What is it?"

I sniffed and inhaled deeply. "I can't stay away from Troy because he needs to be able to see his son," I mumbled, staring at the ground.

For what seemed like hours, the only sounds were Tyler's giggles and the incessant ticking from the clock which had been a wedding present from Greg and myself. The moment seemed surreal, as if it was all a dream, and I was unsure whether I wanted it to be a dream or not. It had been so long to keep it all to myself and Troy that it was such a relief to get it out. And although I trust Chad and Taylor with my life, if Natalia finds out, she'd kill me and Troy probably would, too. I just wanted this moment to be over. I wanted someone to say something, anything.

Then Chad laughed. A laugh that was hearty, loud and was certainly not the reaction I expected. I lifted my head as Chad threw his head back and another ring of his laughter rang in the small apartment. He breathed deeply and eventually calmed down but had to swipe a tear from his eye. "I'm sorry. I thought you just said that Troy has a son."

Taylor threw a pillow at him. "Idiot! She's saying that Troy is Tyler's father."

Chad frowned, setting the pillow aside. "Gabi? Is that true?"

I shrugged helplessly. "Would I lie about it?"

"Well, if that's the case, you've been lying about Ty's father for the past eleven months," he said sternly.

I nodded and wiped my eyes. "I know. I'm sorry. It wasn't my choice."

Chad picked Tyler up and sat next to me. He handed Tyler to me and then wrapped me in his protective embrace. "I don't think you have to be a rocket scientist to work out whose idea it was."

I pulled back and frowned, concentrating my eyes on Tyler. "He has a right to, though. He doesn't need everyone knowing, does he? It's fine."

"Yeah, but look at you. Everything's tearing you apart. How did it happen, anyway?" Taylor asked.

I raised my eyebrows. "We're all grownups, I think we can figure out how it happened."

She shook her head. "No. I mean, how did it come about?"

I held Tyler to my body and sighed. I explained everything and couldn't help but defend Troy when both Taylor and Chad interrupted my story to insult him. "Guys, don't be mad at him."

"Mad at him? You do realise he's marrying your sister. Not only are you madly in love with him, you're the mother of the baby that nobody else knows is Troy's!" Chad exclaimed.

I nodded. "It sucks, doesn't it?" I paused and sighed. "So, that's why I have to come back. I can't just disappear."

Taylor smoothed my hair down. "Gabi, Greg doesn't know, does he?"

I shook my head. "You guys are the only ones who know."

"So, are you going to tell everybody before you leave?" Chad asked.

I shook my head. "No. Although I don't necessarily agree with Troy's relationship, I wouldn't spoil it just because things didn't go my way."

Chad laughed. "You should spoil it. You should completely ruin it. You should be the cause for their entire relationship to collapse like the entire universe being sucked violently and helplessly into a black hole and...Never mind."

Taylor shook her head in dismay. "Gabi, ignore the way my husband put it but what he's saying is right. Natalia has spent your entire life, causing you grief and Troy? He should stop being a love-struck puppy to your sister and be responsible for Tyler. I love you, Gabi, and I think you've been really strong through everything," she said softly and brushed some hair from my face, "you can't raise him on your own."

I nodded. "I know. It's sick." I looked at Tyler. "Tyler's the only thing I have of Troy."

Taylor pulled me towards her, rubbing my back. "Oh, honey, you won't be alone. I promise."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Long time no update. Sowwie. But, it's here. I hope you like it :)

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I stared at the envelope sat on the island counter. It was taunting me. Laughing at me. Judging me. I knew what it said. I'd known before I'd gone and I'd known when the doctor spoke those three words that changed my fate. I was alone. Greg was at the diner but would be home soon. But that was okay. I wanted some alone time to figure things out.

Seventeen years old.

At seventeen, I had to completely rearrange my life. I was the reason I had never met my mother and I dreaded to think what Greg would say to me. I knew he wouldn't be angry. In my seventeen years of existence, Greg had never been angry at me. He would simply be disappointed. And that was honestly much, much worse than him simply yelling at me.

Natalia would rub it in my face. How was it possible that I was the one to get knocked up first? She would be thrilled. Except she wouldn't know the truth. She would taunt me and tease me and never know the truth about it.

I heard a car pull up on the driveway and I felt my whole body tense. I heard a door slam and a moment later, I turned to the front door as Greg stepped in. He smiled at me as he slipped his shoes and coat off and then came into the kitchen. He kissed my forehead and sat next to me. "What did the doctor say?"

I slid the envelope towards him, unable to speak.

I watched him tentatively open the envelope and slipped the piece of paper out which sadly told him that I was no longer naive and innocent. He frowned and set the piece of paper on the counter. "Gabi?" he whispered.

I shrugged and felt tears roll down my cheeks. "I'm sorry."

He wrapped his arms around me as I cried into his chest. "For what? Being honest?" He pulled back and looked me in the eyes. "I'm glad you told me. But...why?"

I shrugged again. "I wanted to. He wanted to. I guess...This will sound so stupid. But, I guess I didn't think about this. I wanted him. I loved him and I just..."

"It is Dean's, isn't it?" Greg asked quietly.

I paused but memories of what Troy had told me flashed through my mind and I soon find myself nodding but otherwise staying silent. "You're mad, aren't you?" I whimpered and wiped my damp cheeks with the back of my hand.

He chuckled. "I'm getting a grandkid. I'm a little surprised you're this young and kind of pictured you married but it's still amazing."

I frowned. "You should be yelling at me."

"For bringing another beautiful life into this world? Mi hija, I know what happened with Dean was hard and I guess this baby will remind you of him. But, I know you. I know you won't abort it. I know you'll love the baby until the end of time. I know you've got me and the others." He kissed my forehead. "I know your mom would be proud no matter what. I want you to remember that."

I brought the piece of paper towards me and re-read the words I was still processing in my head. I moved my other hand to my stomach.

**Urine Test Results for Miss Gabriella Anna Maria Juanita Costa-Brava Montez**

**Ph: 7.2**

**Clarity: Clear**

**Protein: None**

**Glucose: None**

**General health: Healthy**

**Diagnosis: Pregnant – Seven Weeks along – First scan recommended at eleven weeks**

"You'll be doing that a lot in the months to come," Greg commented.

I tore my eyes away from the diagnosis. "What?"

He moved his eyes to my stomach. "Putting your hand there. You're worried, aren't you?"

I nodded. "Of course I am. What about my future?"

He was silent for a moment before he finally released a long breath. "I know your future has changed. More so than the average parent. Maybe it hasn't worked out like you planned but what do you see in your future now?"

"My baby," I replied, surprising myself.

He smiled. "That's the answer I hoped you'd say. It's still possible to have a future. I'm behind you a hundred and ten per cent." His smile fell a bit. "There's more, isn't there?"

I diverted my eyes away from him. "What if there are complications with my baby's birth? His dad...there isn't anyone."

He shrugged bashfully. "It's not perfect and definitely not what people will approve of in this town but there's me. I'd bring him up and I know Taylor and Sharpay would love to help. Besides, you shouldn't worry about that stuff. If you knew you'd die, would you still do it?" he asked quietly.

I nodded fervently. "Of course I would."

"There you go. That's exactly what your mom said," he muttered.

I frowned. "What? I thought..."

He shook his head. "She knew. I knew. Natalia doesn't. She was so young. And now...I don't know where I went wrong. Anyway, when Maria, your mom, was about five months pregnant, she looked absolutely beautiful. She was glowing. She was amazing. She was loving being pregnant again. She doted on your sister and I loved her more than ever." He took a shaky breath and slowly moved his hand to place it over mine which was still covering my stomach. "We went for a scan and they knew what the complication was. Maria had placenta praevia. There was a chance nothing would happen but...it did. And I wouldn't have it any other way. We talked about having an abortion but she was adamant she wanted to do it and I'm glad she did."

I smiled slightly. "I wish I could've met her. She sounds amazing."

"I want you to know that whether it seems it right now or not, everything happens for the best." He kissed my cheek and smiled reassuringly at me.

* * *

I moved rhythmically in the rocking chair of the nursery and moved my gaze from the window to Tyler who was nestled safely under my breasts. I'd been awake with him for two hours. I'd fed him, sang to him, changed his diaper and after playing with him for all of five minutes, he finally fell asleep. However, every time I set him in his crib, he began crying _again_.

I didn't mind. Like I told Greg, Tyler's my future. He's my entire world and nothing, not Troy or Natalia or even Drake, will ever change that. Even if I never fall in love again and never get married, I'll be happy.

Tyler was simply beautiful. It's what every baby is called and maybe I'm biased. But, he truly was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen in my entire life. And he's all mine. I know Troy's a part of him but until he gets off his damn high horse and tells everyone the truth and begins to take responsibility, Tyler is simply...mine.

I heard a light tap at the door and a few moments later, Greg had pulled up another chair next to me. "You okay?"

I smiled tiredly and nodded. "Of course."

"Do you want me to take over so you can rest?" he offered.

I shook my head, looking back at Tyler. "Not really."

"Alright. Honesty time. What's up?" he asked quietly.

"How'd you know something was up?" I asked in shock.

"Because I know you. The last time you were this quiet and gave short answers, this little guy came along," he commented.

I sighed. "Daddy, I know what you'll say to me. And I want you to hear me out before you say anything at all."

He nodded. "Okay," he whispered.

"I got accepted to Stanford's freshmen's honours programme. When I got accepted to study prelaw, they said they were simply considering me." I shrugged. "I got a letter a couple of days ago and they accepted me. It's a programme ran for thirty students who get to go to Stanford for three weeks and study with some of the top professors."

Greg grinned. "That's amazing, mi hija, I'm so..." He trailed off when he saw Gabriella mouthing the words.

"...proud of you," she finished in a whisper.

"How'd you know?" he asked in confusion.

"That's what you always say. Even when I told you I was pregnant at seventeen." I looked him in the eyes. "I just don't know what to do. It seemed so easy before. My life was planned out for me and I liked it that way. And now things have changed because of Tyler. I'm not saying it's a bad thing and I'd never change it for anything." I sighed. "The thing is, I want him to grow up down here, not in California. But, going to Stanford...It feels like I'm that much closer to Mom."

"But you want to go so you can escape Natalia and Troy?" he asked.

"It would be nice," I muttered. "I just want to think for myself for a while. I want to have Tyler to myself and I want to be at Mom's school. But I don't want to be away from you. I worry about you."

"I can cope by myself. And I'm sure the girls will visit you and maybe I'll tag along." He nudged my shoulder. "Don't worry about me. I know you'll come back. I know you love this place."

I smiled and giggled. "I can't help it. It's so simple and...nice. Do you want to hold him?"

Greg nodded and I slowly handed his grandson to him, trying not to disturb Tyler. "He looks a lot like you."

"You think?" I asked dubiously. "I always thought he looked more like his father."

Greg shrugged. "Either way, you're beautiful. Therefore, he's beautiful and he always will be."

"The doctor said he's going to be tall and strong," I commented.

Greg smiled across at me. "Yeah? And everything's okay with you, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah. He's happy for me to stop having regular checks." I paused and reached forward to stroke the tuft of hair that had begun growing on Tyler's head. "Did you think Natalia and I were miracles?" I murmured.

Greg nodded slowly. "Yeah. And if you feel that way now, you'll feel it for the rest of your life."

I smiled. "I don't want it to end. I always wanted kids but it was way into my future. When he came along, it changed my perspective on everything, you know?"

"Yeah. And it'll keep changing. You'll worry and you'll care and at some point when he's in high school he'll hate you because of that. But, he'll keep coming back because he'll need you just like you need him." He looked down on Tyler, rearranging the blanket that was wrapped around him. "So, if you go to the honour's programme, what are you going to do about Troy?"

I rubbed my forehead and sighed. "I won't tell him. It's none of his business. It's his problem if he wants to get into a marriage that's failing before it's even started. There have to be other guys out there that accept Tyler, too."

Greg smiled proudly. "That's the way to go. Troy will come around. It's blatantly obvious that Natalia isn't his type."

I shrugged. "It's his choice. It has to be his choice. If I tell him now and he breaks it off, I'll spend the rest of my life wondering if he meant it or if he simply did it because I told him."

"Or you'll spend the rest of your life wondering what could've happened," Greg commented.

* * *

Later that day, after Greg gave me the day off ("and that was final"), I found myself dressed in simply a tank top and a pair of shorts due to the persistent heat. Tyler was settled in his pram, shaded from the sun and dressed in only a blue t-shirt and his diaper so that he wouldn't get too warm. On the garden table where I was sat, my school books were spread out before me and a jug of iced tea and a glass next to it were at the far end.

Greg's words kept ringing through my head. Either way, no matter what I decided, I would end up wondering if it was the right decision. But he was right about one thing. He'd be okay and as soon as I graduated from Stanford I'd be on a plane with Tyler and come back here as fast as I can. Just in time for Tyler to begin school.

I began working through the essays and assignments my teachers had given me, content to listen to Tyler's little giggles and mumbles. I glanced up as the back yard gate creaked open and I waved at Troy. "Hey," I greeted. "Aren't you supposed to be at work?"

"Aren't you?" he shot back jokingly but winked at me. He bent over Tyler and kissed his forehead. "Hi, Ty," he murmured before he sat in a chair next to me. "My dad gave me the day off," he explained. "I thought I should spend it with my son and best friend."

I smiled at him. "My dad gave me the day off, too. I need it, too. He was a little rascal last night."

"At least we know who he takes after." He paused and shuffled a few of the papers before coming to the conclusion that he'd never understand it and resolved to leaning back on the back two legs of his chair instead.

I giggled. "You gave up, huh?"

"Hey, I play basketball, not understand quadratic equations or the behaviour of amanic acids," he exclaimed.

I sighed. "Troy, for the last time, they're called amino acids. How did you graduate?"

He shrugged and smirked. "Haven't a clue." He stared at me for a moment and just as I was going to voice my unnerved state, he spoke up. "You seem different."

I frowned. "If this is about my outfit, it's such a hot day-" I began.

He chuckled and cut me off. "No." He then glanced at me body and quickly moved his gaze back to my face. "You just seem...peaceful."

I shrugged and gestured to the iced tea. He helped himself as I explained. "Well, last night, my dad and I spent a long time talking things through and I guess it helped a lot. I got a lot of things off my chest."

"Like what?" he asked quietly.

I shrugged. "My thoughts of my future. I used to be so sure of everything. Now, the only thing I know is that Tyler is there."

He frowned. "There's Greg and me and Tay and..."

I nodded. "Sure."

"What is it?"

"Well, as much as I love you guys, you're different from me. You all have your own lives and I'm not naive to believe that you don't. You're getting married, it's just as likely that Greg will find someone new and settle back down and...I have to stand up and face the world by myself." I shrugged. "I have to be brave like my mom was."

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

I swallowed. "My dad told me something when I first got pregnant. You can't tell anyone, especially Natalia, okay?"

He nodded and held my hand. "Sure."

"She knew there was a possibility she'd die because of me. They knew about the complication when she was five months pregnant." I shrugged. "They discussed aborting but they didn't. It was mostly her decision."

He was silent for a moment before he finally spoke in a quiet voice. "You would've done the same, wouldn't you?"

I smiled and nodded. "Of course. I decided that when Greg told me. I guess I just need to be fearless like her."

My phone suddenly began vibrating on the table, disturbing the stillness. I reached forward and flipped it open.

**Hey, G. Hw r u? D x**

I smiled and began typing my reply.

**I'm gd, thx. U? X**

"Who's that?" Troy asked. "Shar?"

I shook my head. "Nope. Believe it or not, we can go a day without texting each other."

He quirked one eyebrow. "Alright, I'll believe that," he muttered sarcastically. "So, who is it?"

I frowned. "Why does it matter?"

He shrugged reluctantly and turned to Tyler. "It doesn't."

I laughed heartily. "Calm down. It's Drake. He dropped into the diner last week and we swapped numbers."

He narrowed his eyes as he turned to me. "Drake? Captain of the football team?"

I shrugged. "He's the one. Trust me, we're just friends."

"It doesn't affect me, does it?" he snapped. "I just don't approve of him."

I sighed, knowing I would regret what I was about to say. "Since you got me pregnant, you don't have the right to judge that anymore," I whispered. I set my phone on the table and spoke before he could. "Troy, I don't want to fight anymore. I just want to make the most of my time here."

He smiled softly. "Me too. But, don't say that. You're making it sound like you're dying."

"Yeah but, it's hard to believe that I'm leaving this place behind. It's my entire life, you know? I don't suppose you do. You didn't leave."

"I understand why you're going. I know you want to be close to your mom but why don't you take a few classes here until Tyler's grown a bit?" he suggested.

I shook my head. "I considered that. I discussed with Tay. But I know that if I don't go now and see the rest of the world, allowing Tyler to see it at the same time, I probably never will." I sighed. "I want Tyler's first important years, first years when he's at school, to be here in Albuquerque and I want to have my degree and a job by the time he starts school."

"El, what about me? What about his first steps, his first words?" he whispered. "I want to see them."

I felt tears well in my eyes. "I know that. But I can't stay here for the rest of my life. I guess I can't be a little adult right now. I'm hoping you understand that. I know you want to see that stuff but...Natalia will suspect something if you kick up too big of a fuss."

He sighed and for a moment I thought he was going to leave. But he didn't. He poked me in the waist. I giggled and wiggled in my chair. "That's what I want to hear." He grinned and continued to poke me.

I laughed and eventually managed to push my chair away so that I could stand up and scurry away a little bit. "You don't want to do this. You love me too much. I can't breathe," I warned.

He raised his eyebrows and glanced at Tyler. "Really?" He slowly stood up and I took a few steps backwards.

"Troy, please," I begged through a giggle.

He chased after me and eventually caught me around the waist and lifted me from the ground. He gave a hearty chuckle as he lost balanced and we both fell forwards with me landing on top of him. I slowly caught my breath and rolled over so that we were facing each other. I was expecting Troy to say something but, instead, he reached up to curl a lock of my hair behind my ear.

"Troy-" I began but he held a hand over my mouth to cut me off.

"Shh..." he whispered. "Just...Shhh..."

"I gathered that," I muttered but it was muffled because of his hand.

"What's happened to you?" he asked quietly as he moved his hand from my mouth.

I frowned as we both sat up and faced each other. "Um, I had a baby?" I answered, more as a question. "I'm not sure what you mean."

He sighed and I saw his eyes travel over me. "You've changed. In a good way," he added hurriedly. "But, you're...grown up. Not Nat's little sister I promised to watch out for."

I shrugged. "It's what normal people do. Ty's going to do that one day. Although I don't like thinking about that."

He chuckled. "I know. I guess I've only just noticed."

I shrugged. I was about to speak when Tyler began crying. I stood up and rushed over to him. I took him into my arms and turned away from the sun. "Come on, Tyler. I know you don't need a new diaper. Are you hungry? You must be. You haven't had anything since breakfast. "Hey, Troy?" I called over my shoulder.

I felt his hand on my lower back and I turned to him. "Yeah?"

"I'm going inside to feed Tyler," I explained.

He nodded. "Okay," he murmured dejectedly.

I knew that he felt a little sad that he could never feed Tyler, as I had decided to breast feed, but I just wanted to be close to him. I wanted to share something with him that no one else could. Just like I knew that as he grew up, Troy would play basketball with him, Chad would play video games with him, Zeke would cook with him, Greg would play football with him, Ryan would teach him how to dance and Jason would make him feel smart.

"Troy, he's six weeks old. We've over this," I said softly.

He nodded. "I know."

"Come on," I whispered and I took them both into the lounge. I settled onto the sofa and proceeded to manoeuvre my shirt and bra so that Tyler could nuzzle into my breast and began drinking the milk. "Good boy," I encouraged softly.

"Does it hurt?" Troy asked.

I shook my head. "No. It did at first. But not anymore. It's kind of peaceful, if I'm honest. Makes this whole thing seem more real. Better."

Troy breathed out gently. "I want to walk out of that door and tell the whole world he's mine."

I shrugged. "I'm not stopping you."

"You don't care what Natalia would do? What about your dad?" he exclaimed.

I turned Tyler to my other breast and settled him there before I tilted my head to him. "I've spent eighteen years with Natalia's harshness. I'm immune to it. Especially after dinner the other day. And my dad? He wasn't angry then, he won't be angry now. He'll just be disappointed I lied."

He kissed my temple. "I wish I was as fearless as you."

"Being fearless doesn't necessarily I'm not afraid. Of course I am. I'm terrified of everything. Fearless simply means that I live with them," I explained.

He reached forward and let Tyler's hand curl around his finger. "When you told me you were pregnant, I thought my life was over."

"I figured that out for myself with the way you reacted," I muttered.

"I'm sorry about that," he whispered. "But, then you looked so peaceful when you were pregnant...even with all of Albuquerque's comments. And Tyler was born and...he's the greatest thing that's ever happened to me."

Tyler let go of my breast and I put my shirt in the right place. I turned to Troy and frowned. "I know he is. But he shouldn't be. That should be Natalia."

He shrugged. "I can't help it. He's everything to me."

"Until you tell everyone that you're the father, he can't be everything to you. What's happened to you?" I asked.

He frowned. "Me?"

I nodded. "Since you and Natalia got together you looked like a guy in love but now I'm not so sure who you're in love with."


End file.
